IOM plays a vital role in addressing, safeguarding, and advancing the rights and well-being of migrants and communities across the globe. Through the strategic support of the IOM Development Fund, IOM offices have successfully implemented a range of diverse initiatives; these projects, tailored to specific local contexts, not only address key protection challenges in migration management but also innovatively leverage the opportunities presented by migration as these arise in environments where the rights of migrants and communities are increasingly recognized and upheld.

Recently, the IOM Development Fund published a booklet featuring 30 of the most innovative initiatives it supported from 2020 to 2022. This selection showcases IOM's pursuit of transformative solutions to emerging challenges in migration and human mobility across various areas of work.

Among the selected initiatives, three projects stand out as prime examples of innovative and impactful approaches to migrants’ protection. These projects reflect IOM’s long-lasting commitment to protecting migrants' rights and wellbeing, towards the realization of the Sustainable Development Agenda and the principles of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration.

SOCIOECONOMIC (RE)INTEGRATION TOOLKIT FOR GOVERNMENTS IN SOUTH AMERICA

Elements of Innovation: 

• Data, Research and Technology
• Social Cohesion and Community Participation
• Diversity, Gender and Inclusion

What is the project about?

Amidst pre-existing socioeconomic challenges in South America, a vital intervention addressing the needs of migrants, returnees, and host communities following the COVID-19 outbreak emerged as imperative. The region witnessed a dual movement: migrants returning home due to economic difficulties whilst others simultaneously departing for the same reasons.

To effectively aid South American governments in bolstering socioeconomic recovery post-pandemic, this project proposed a comprehensive toolkit for government officials, to facilitate the successful (re)integration of migrants and returnees into national economies, thereby empowering these individuals as catalysts for sustainable development, particularly in the post-COVID-19 recovery efforts. This endeavor involved two pivotal components: first, conducting a gender-sensitive rapid evidence assessment to construct a solid evidence base for toolkit development and implementation; and second, piloting the toolkit and formulating national implementation strategies for socio-economic (re)integration across pilot countries.

How is the project innovative?

This project introduces an innovative paradigm by integrating data, analysis, technology, and research to strengthen socioeconomic recovery strategies within the region. Through an integrative approach, it envisioned the development of a pioneering socioeconomic integration toolkit inclusive of cutting-edge data collection techniques, comprehensive databases, and analytical frameworks, along with advanced technological solutions.

The project's innovation extends further, by fostering partnerships with private sector entities and academia, thus leveraging on state-of-the-art data innovation practices for better migration management strategies. Foresight, scenario building, and horizon scanning techniques enhanced the project's innovative element, enabling a proactive response to emerging trends and challenges in migration and mobility. By aligning advanced data-driven decision-making processes with comprehensive socio-economic (re)integration.

LEVERAGING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TO STRENGTHEN THE IDENTIFICATION OF VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING IN HONG KONG

Elements of Innovation:

• Awareness Raising and Communication
• Data, Research and Technology
• Diversity, Gender and Inclusion

What is the project about?

Human trafficking and forced labor are global issues affecting millions of people around the world. This project aims to safeguard the rights of victims of trafficking from various nationalities and employment sectors in Hong Kong SAR, China.

The key objective of this initiative is to ensure that potential victims of trafficking can access protection and advocacy mechanisms that are attuned to gender-specific considerations. This approach enables an environment conducive to women seeking appropriate assistance and protective measures tailored to their needs. Moreover, by leveraging existing tools to expand screenings to vulnerable migrant worker populations beyond the predominantly female domestic workforce, the project holds the distinctive potential to enhance the understanding of diverse stakeholders regarding the factors making male migrant workers susceptible to human trafficking and related forms of exploitation. This effort will not only shape the design of tailored referral mechanisms but also contribute to the reinforcement of protection measures sensitive to gender-related concerns.

How is the project innovative?

The project’s innovation lies in its successful adaptation of the Apprise tool, originally developed by the United Nations University Institute in Macau and the Mekong Cub to enable secure and confidential interviews of vulnerable populations to identify instances of trafficking in persons. By adopting this cutting-edge technological solution, the Initiative harnesses technology to identify and ultimately support migrant workers facing exploitation.

Apprise is a mobile app based on the Value Sensitive Design approach – a theory-based approach to technology design that considers human values in a principled and comprehensive way. It ensures that technology is developed with ethical, social, and cultural considerations. By offering tailored screening questionnaires in multiple languages, the app empowers frontline responders to proactively detect signs of labor exploitation and trafficking among vulnerable migrant workers in various industries. This allows them to evaluate in a standardized, evidence-based and protection-oriented manner the situation of migrant workers within the established framework, as well as to gather essential and consistent macro data about labor conditions, facilitating comparative analysis across different time periods, locations, and sectors.

CONSCIOUSLY MADE IN UKRAINE: SVIDOMO MADE

Elements of Innovation:

• Social Cohesion and Community Participation
• Regular Pathways
• Diversity, Gender and Inclusion

What is the project about?

The Svidomo Made project is dedicated to advancing sustainable development and responsible production within Ukrainian businesses. This initiative aims to heighten awareness about ethical consumption, labor exploitation, and human trafficking issues.

The project is built on six core principles: fair wages, human rights, workplace safety, eradicating child labor, transparent supply chains, and environmental protection. With a team of experts addressing each principle, the project foresees guiding small and medium Ukrainian enterprises toward sustainability. Recognized businesses will bear a quality mark, symbolizing their alignment with the Svidomo Made community. Through an educational platform and awareness campaign, the project promotes responsible production and consumption. Furthermore, Svidomo Made aligns with global trends related to boosting brand reputations, including ethical business practices, competitiveness in the European market, and fostering the SDGs and

How is the project innovative?

The initiative showcases innovation in the way it promotes sustainable production and consumption for small businesses by incorporating corporate sustainability principles. Remarkably, the project has led to the establishment of Ukraine's inaugural Voluntary Corporate Sustainability Standard for small and medium enterprises. This standard, developed in alignment with the Global Compact for Migration principles, international best practices, and national regulations, evaluates companies based on ethical recruitment, safe workplaces, eradicating exploitation, diversity promotion, transparent supply chains, and environmental protection.

Illustrating the innovation in action, the initiative introduced the Svidomo Made "quality mark" on products, signifying adherence to ethical production. A diverse range of businesses have already been successful in earning this mark. Beyond business, the project advances human rights by advocating for ethical employment and labor rights, thereby addressing concerns, including human trafficking. This initiative creates a transformative framework that resonates across economic, societal, and environmental spheres. In doing so, the project positions Ukraine at the forefront of sustainable business, aligning with global trends and positively impacting both businesses and consumers.

 

 

For more information on these projects and to explore the complete selection of innovative initiatives supported by the IOM Development Fund, we invite you to peruse the IOM Development Innovation Booklet (2020-2022) or visit the IOM Development Fund Global Innovation Map.

For additional information please feel free to contact the IOM Development Fund at IOMDevelopmentFund@iom.int.